Gust ay castan



(No Model.)

G. CASTAN.

THPATRIGAL APPARATUS P0P, APPARPNTLY SUSPPNDING A PERSON IN MID AIP. No. 389,198. Patented Sept. 1l, 1888.

FIG/.L I FIG D N. PETERS. Plmwvmhegmphcr. wnwingnn. n.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT GEErCE.7

GUSTAV CASTAN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

THEAIRICAL APPARATUS FOR APPARENILY SUSPENDING A PERSON IN MID-AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 389,198, dated September llI 1888.

Application filed April 30. 1388. Serial No. 279,236.

T0 all whom, may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAv OasrAN, of the city of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful improvements in mechanism by means of which a human being or other object appears to float free in the air without the aid of wire, (for which I tiled an application in England on April 9, 1888, No. 5,254,) of which I declare the following to be a specification.

vThis invention relates to an improved mechanism by means of which a human being or other object appears to float free in the air without the aid of wire. This mechanism consists of a horizontal rotary disk of glass, which is only supported at each edge, and serves to receive the person or other object to be exhibited, and also of a mirror arranged at an angle of forty-live degrees to the glass disk. The mirror reflects the image of the person or object on the glass disk, but not the edge of the same, or the rings carrying and surrounding said disk toward the audience, and as the transparent glass disk is not reflected in the mirror the person or object on the former appears to be floating in the air, and when Vthe glass disk is rotated the person or object appears to make various movements. lVhen the edge of the mirror is appropriately decorated and thelight properly arranged, the mirror is not to be detected 'and the audience is led to believe that the image is in reality the person or object on the glass disk.

Figure l is a view of the apparatus as seen from the space occupied by the audience. Fig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus Without the mirror. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the apparatus with the mirror arranged at an angle of forty-live degrees to the glass disk. Fig. 4 is a view of the device for rotating the glass disk.

A is the disk of glass for receiving the person or object to be exhibited, which is xed in the rotary frame B. Around the periphery and also beneath thelower surface of the frame B in the framework C, I arrange anti-friction rollers ain order to facilitate the rotary movement of the glass disk A.

E is a mirror arranged 5o at an angle of fortyflve degrees to the glass disk and at appropri- (No model.) 4Patented in England April D, IESS, No. 5,211.

ate distance from the same, said mirror being held in a suitable frame, D, which can be held or supported by the frame-work, as represented in the accompanying drawings, or in 55 other appropriate manner, so that the person or object on the glass disk A will be reliected before the opening to the stage, and thus be visible to the audience.

The glass disk A can be rotated by means 6: of a suitable motor or by hand-power, as desired. In the drawings, Figs. 2 and 4, I have shown one rotating device, consisting of a driving-strap, b, strap-drum d, crank c, and bevel gear-wheels c. The driving-strap b runs around the frame B of the glass disk A and passes around the strap-drum d. W'hen it is desired to rotate the glass disk A, it is only necessary to turn the crank c at any desired speed, when the gear-wheels and the strap- 7e drum will be set in motion, and the glass disk A will be revolved by means of the drivingA strap I).

Vhile I prefer to use the above-described apparatus for revolving the disk A, it should be understood that I do not confine myself to this particular form of driving device, as any equivalent mechanism will answer my purpose as well.

The framework, the mirror, and other parts as may be found requisite are appropriately decorated in order to obtain the best possible results, and it will be evident that the glass disk must be so operated that the reflected apparent movements of the person on the glass disk appear as natural as possible, and in order to increase the effect the person can move his arms and legs, which said movements will, of course, be reflected in the mirror. The lights employed for illuminating the glass disk and mirror must be so arranged that the glass disk is not reflected in the mirror.

It will be evident that the parts of my improved mechanism can be modified in various Ways Without departing from the nature of my invention.

Having new particularly described the naA ture of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for exhibiting living persons and other objects, the combination of the lOO rotary glass disk A and rotary frame B with the mirror E, substantially as set, forth and shown.

2. In an apparatus for exhibiting living persons and other objects, the combination of the mirror E and frame D with the frames B and C and the rotary glass disk A, substantially as set Aforth and shown.

3. In an apparatus for exhibiting living persons and other objects, the combination of the mirror E, frame D, and frame C with the rotary glass disk A, rotary frame B, and the anti-friction rollers a, substantially as set forth and shown.

GUSTAV CASTAN.

Witn esses:

B. Bor, ANTHONY STEFFEN. 

